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•Doctors Without Borders raises the alarm, seeks for urgent action
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has raised concerns over worsening malnutrition, recurring disease outbreaks, and poor maternal healthcare in northern Nigeria, calling for urgent intervention from governments and relevant stakeholders.
MSF Country Representative, Nigeria, Dr. Ahmed Aldikhari, urged stronger collaboration and coordinated action to address the mounting challenges, warning that failure to act could endanger the future health and wellbeing of Nigeria’s population.
Speaking during the public presentation of MSF’s Nigeria Activity Highlights Report 2025, Aldikhari outlined the organisation’s major concerns and interventions.
The report revealed an alarming increase in malnutrition among children, particularly in northern Nigeria, where MSF operates in 10 states.
According to the report, over 400,000 new cases of malnutrition were recorded in 2025 across these states, placing Nigeria at the top among the 77 countries where MSF provides humanitarian assistance.
MSF warned that without urgent action from all levels of government and partners, Nigeria could risk producing a future generation weakened physically and mentally by malnutrition.
Explaining why malnutrition continues to worsen despite years of humanitarian intervention, MSF noted that the drivers have become increasingly complex.
Families are battling rising food prices, insecurity, displacement, disease outbreaks, and limited healthcare access simultaneously, while humanitarian resources remain insufficient to match the growing needs.
The organisation added that cuts in humanitarian funding have further forced some agencies to reduce services in communities where assistance is most needed.
MSF stressed that malnutrition is not solely a food shortage issue but is strongly linked to disease burden and weak healthcare systems.
Children suffering from preventable illnesses such as measles, diphtheria, malaria, and diarrhoea diseases can quickly become severely malnourished, especially when treatment is delayed or inaccessible.
Impact of funding cuts and response strategy
MSF expressed concern over reductions in donor funding, including major cuts linked to USAID support, warning that these could create serious gaps in nutrition services during the lean season when humanitarian needs typically surge.
To address the crisis, MSF said it provides inpatient and outpatient care, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), vaccination campaigns, and community outreach programmes.
The organisation is also testing innovative nutrition approaches using affordable, locally sourced food products such as Tom Brown, a nutrient-rich food mixture designed to support early child nutrition and complement therapeutic feeding programmes.
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Recurring disease outbreaks
On recurring disease outbreaks, MSF said the conditions driving annual outbreaks remain largely unchanged.
The organisation cited poor vaccination coverage, inadequate sanitation, weak disease surveillance systems, and conflict-related insecurity as major contributors.
MSF noted that Nigeria continues to face regular outbreaks and seasonal surges of infectious diseases including cholera, Lassa fever, meningitis, measles, diphtheria, and typhoid fever, particularly during the rainy season.
According to the organisation, infectious diseases often worsen malnutrition by reducing children’s appetite and nutritional intake, thereby creating a dangerous cycle of illness and under nutrition.
MSF urged authorities to prioritise vaccination campaigns, improve water and sanitation infrastructure, strengthen frontline healthcare services, and reinforce disease surveillance and emergency response systems.
Maternal health challenges
MSF also highlighted worsening maternal healthcare challenges in the states where it operates. It noted that Nigeria continues to record one of the world’s highest maternal and newborn mortality rates, despite many deaths being preventable through timely and quality healthcare.
According to MSF, delayed access to medical care, shortages of trained personnel and equipment, insecurity, and weak referral systems are among the major factors contributing to maternal deaths.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, MSF reported supporting approximately 7,000 deliveries and conducting 31,000 antenatal consultations. Its maternal healthcare interventions include antenatal and postnatal services, family planning, and emergency obstetric care including caesarean sections, neonatal intensive care, fistula surgery, and treatment for survivors of sexual violence.
MSF said the most common complications encountered include severe bleeding, obstructed labour, infections, eclampsia, and complications arising from delayed referrals.
Many women, the organisation observed, arrive at healthcare facilities in critical condition after experiencing prolonged delays in accessing treatment.
Conflict, PHC and way forward
MSF noted that conflict and insecurity in several northern states continue to hamper maternal healthcare delivery by restricting movement and limiting access to health facilities. Safety concerns and transportation difficulties often discourage pregnant women from seeking timely medical care.
The organisation emphasised the importance of primary healthcare systems in ensuring early detection of pregnancy complications. It maintained that stronger referral systems and early antenatal care can significantly reduce life-threatening emergencies.
To reduce maternal mortality, MSF called for increased investment in maternal healthcare services, improved staffing and equipment, stronger referral networks, and expanded access to emergency obstetric and new-born care, particularly in underserved communities.
